Safety device for elevators.



L. E. HAWK. SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1914.

Q 1,106,379. Patented Aug. 11,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOT0-L|THO.. WASHINGTONJD. C

L. E. HAWK. MFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLIGATION FILED ums. 1914.

1,166,379, Patented Aug. 11, 1914;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'IHE NORRIS PETER S CO. PHOTD-L-ITHQ, WASHINGION. D. C

- UNITED I STATES PATENT oFFIoE- LEwIsE. HAWK, orCHICAoo, ILLINOIS, AssIeNoIt TO CHICAGO SAFETY APPLIANCE COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, a CORPORATION or ILLINOISL.

measure.

I tion thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. I I

This invention relates to an electrically controlled safety mechanism more particularly intended for use in connection with hydraulic elevator systems, to stop or prevent movement of the elevator when .any of the doors or gates of the elevator shaft are opened or standin open position.

This invention consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a part of a hydraulic elevator system with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view on a larger scale partly in section and partly in elevation of my invention as applied to the pilot valve mechanism of a hydraulic elevator system. Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view through parts illustrated in Fig. 2, the plane of the section being indicated by lines 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View through a switch mechanism located adjacent the pilot valve mechanism, the plane of the section being indicated by lines 4;4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a View of a switch mechanism used in connection with my invention, said switch being located in the elevator shaft adjacent to and operated by the opening and closing of the doors int-he.

elevator shaft. I I

In hydraulic or fluid; operated elevator I systems, a pilot valve mechanism is used for controlling the inlet and discharge of the fluid under pressure touand from the operating engine. The pilot valve mechanism is I operated by a main or controlling rock shaft onwhich I is fixed an oscillating lever. Movement is imparted to this oscillating lever by means of a cable extending vertically through the elevator shaft in a plane Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 5, 1914. Serial No. 810,280.-

elevator engine fixeol bracket arm 15? SAFETY DEVICE. FOR ELEVATORS.

PatentedAug. 11, 1914.

adjacent the car and adapted to be operated from within the car in a well-known manner.

Referring more particularly to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates an elevator car located in an elevator shaft 11, having the usualdoor. openings 12 therein at each floor with the usual sliding doors l3 and 14 for closing said openings. The movement of the car in the shaft is controlled by an operatinglever 10 in the car 10, which lever operates upon a cable .20 in a wellknown manner. The ends 20 20 of the cable operate a controlling valve mechanism l5, termed a ilot valve, of a hydraulic not shown), said pilot valve being placed adjacent the said engine which is generally located in the basement of the buildingin which the system is installed. I

y The pilot valve 15 controls the fluid under pressure to the inlet and discharge cylinders of a hydraulicelevator engine, the system being such that when the fluid under pres sure is admitted to the engine through the pilot valve the car ascends in the shaft; when the supply to the engine is cut ofl by means ofthe valve, the car stops; and when the valve is in position to allow the pressure in the engine to escape the car descends. The said valve mechanism 15 is operated by a rock shaft 16 which has bearing in a and has attached to it, so as to move with it, apair of laterally spaced rock arms 15. The outer ends of said arms 15 are connected by a cross bar 15 to which is attached a link 15 by means ofwhich the movement ofthe lever is com 18 indicates a lever fixed on the rock shaft :16 and 19 indicates a lever loosely mounted on said rock shaft in a position closely ad- JEICGIlt to the first named lever.

The lever 19 has oppositely extending arms 19?. 19 to which arms are connected the ends 20 20 of the operating cable 20. Fixed to the end of the arm 19 is a horizontally disposed solenoid 21, to one terminal of which is connected a main line wire 22, the other terminal being connected to a wire 28. The said solenoid 21 has a core 24 which extends, as shown, through an aperture in the lever 18 and which, when said solenoid is energized, is drawn into said solenoid a ainst the action of a light coiled spring 25 located therein. When said sole'- noid 1s deenergized the spring 25 will force the core 24 outwardly toward the lever 18.

The lever 18 has oppositely extending arms 18, 18 which project beyond the ends of the arms 19 19 of the lever 19. The arm 18 is provided with an aperture 18 which is in line with the central axis of the core 24 of the solenoid 21 when the two levers l8 and 19 are in parallel relation and which is adapted to receive the end of. the core 24 when the solenoid 21 is deenergized. It is apparent that when the solenoid is deenergized and the core 24; thereof is' projected into the aperture 18 of the arm 18 any rocking movement given to the lever 19 by means of the cable 20 will be imparted to the lever 18, which will in turn cause a rocking movement of the shaft 16 so as to control the valve mechanism 15; h From the outer ends of the arms 18*, 18 at equal distances from the shaft 16 are suspended counterba lancing' weights 18 and 18 Said weights are suspended, as shown,- by means of chains 18 and 18 each of which is provided with a turn buckle 18* to allow of adjustment of the length of the same.

When the lever 18 is in a horizontal positi'on', the said weights rest on suitable supports 15 15 provided therefor. The turn buckles 18 permit the length of the chains tobe adjusted so that the levers 18 and 19 may be brought to a proper neutral position. When the lever 18 is brought to such angul'ar position that the valve mechanism isoperated to start the car up or down the shaft one of theweight's' will be in a position above its support while the other weight will be resting upon its supportwith' its chain slack.

26 indicates a switch box located adj acent the pilot valve 15. The said box is provide'd with a vertical slot 26 in the side thereof toward theval-ve 15 and through the slot 26, the arm 18" 6f the lever 18 extends. The said box is preferably of rectangular shape and of a height greater than its width and depth. Within said box are located vertically extending spaced arms 27 27 one located on each side of the horizontal median line of the box. Each arm is pivotally mounted on ears 28, 28 and suitably insulat- Also pivotally ed from the box body. mounted on said ears 28, 28, and in the same plane as the arms 27, 27 are shorter arms 29, 29 which are held in contact with the upper and lower edges of the end of the arm 18 by means of leaf springs 30, 30' fixed at one end to the arms 27, 27 and hearing at their free ends against the shorter arms 29, 29. The ends of the arms 27, 27 are adapted to box. Said pins 31, 31 are connected together i by meansof a wire 32 which is in-turn connected to t11e1wire'23 leading to one terminal of the solenoid 21. "The arms 27, 27

when in their normal position contact against lugs 35,35 formed in the casing 25. The said arms 27, 27 are suitably insulated from the lugs 35, 35 and are held in thislnorand position by means of coiled springs 36. 36.

To each arm 27,27 are'connected wires'37, 37 passing through suitable insulating bushings in the wall of thebox 26. Each wire 37, 37 is connected to a line wire 38 (see Fig.1). the other end of which is connected to, a fixed contact plate 39. Spaced a short distance from the contact plate and in the same plane is a second contact 40 which is connected to a mainline wire 41. j The space between the contacts39 and 40" is adapted tozbe' bridged by the core 42 of a solenoid 43 in amanner to be presently described.

It is desirable to make the spaces between the ends of the arms 27, 27 and the spring pressed contact pins 31, 31 as small as possible withoutdanger of arcingbetween them.

. For this reason, the shorter arms 29, 29 are capable of yielding relative movement with respect to the arms 27 so that they' may accommoda-te in their movement the relatively larger movement on the arm '18 of the lever 18 required for it to fully throw the valve mechanism 15. i c.

As before stated, the space between the fixed contacts .39 and 40 is bridged by the movable core of a solenoid'43. To the ter minals of said solenoid 43 are secured circuit wires 44, 45, preferablyhlocated in the elevator shaft.

46 indicates normally closed switches located in the elevatorshaft, there being a switch adjacent each door opening 12 and each switch being adapted to be operated by the opening and closing of the associated door. The said switches each comprise a casing 50 in which is fixed a block of insu; lation 51, havlng spaced stationary contact" members 52, 53. Each of said contacts 52, 53 are respectively connected to the main circuit wires 44, 45 by means of wires 52*, 53. 54 indicates a spring, controlled, movable plunger suitably mounted in lugs 50 50 formed in said casing. On theplunger 54, between the lugs 50 and'50 of the casing.

are formed shoulders54, 54 between which is fixed a block of insulation 55 to which is secured spring'bridge contact arms'56. The said shouldersv 54 54 engage against the said lugs 50, 50 respectively when the plunger is at one or the other limit of its movement. The spring contact arm 56 bridges the contacts 52, 53 when the plunger is at one limit of its movement and closes the circuit. lVhen theplunger is in its other posijacent endwall of the box is a coiled spring This coiled springtends to move the 58. plunger with its spring arm 56 away from the contacts 52, 53. This pressure is normally resisted when the door isclosed by an abutting shoulder or stop 60 carried by the doorin line with and adapted for engagement with a bufler head 61 formed on the end of the plunger 54.

From the above description, it is apparent that when the door is in closed position, the

stop 60 abuts againstthe buffer head 61 of the plunger and holds the spring arms 56 in position to bridge the space between the contacts 52 and 53 against the action of the spring 58. When the door is open, the spring 58 acting on the shoulder 57 will move the plunger with its spring contact arm 56 away from the contacts 52, 53 so that the circuit is broken between the said contacts. Thus, when the door is in open position the circuit in the switch box isopen sothat the circuit of the solenoid 43 is open and said solenoid deenergized. In such case, the core 42 acted upon by gravity, rests upon and bridges the contacts 39, 40-clo-sing the circuit between the wires 38 and 41. i

The operation is as follows: With the parts in position shown in Fig. 1, the car 10 is illustrated as stopping at the door 14 which is just being opened. The opening of the door has broken the circuit in the switch box 50, said breakage deenergizing the soleno-id 43 allowing core 42 to drop and bridge the contacts 39 and40, thus connecting the wires 38 and .41. At this time, the levers 18 and 19 are still locked together, both levers being in a horizontal position with the pivoted arms 29, 29 held in contact against the outer end of the arm 18 by the leaf springs 30, 30. Should the operator of the car attempt atthis stage to start his car by means of the operating lever 10*, the movement of said lever would be communicated through the cable 20 to the levers 19 and18 and by the latter to one of the arms 29, the move ment of which would immediately cause the associated arm 27 to close on the associated contact pin 31. Thiswould close the circuit of the solenoid 21 through the wire 32 and wire 23, cause the core thereof to be withagainst the buffer 61 of the plunger 54 and movethe same inwardly against the action of the spring 58 to bring the spring contact arms 56 into a position to bridge the contact members 52, 53 closing the circuit between the wires 44, 45, thus energizing the solenoid 43. The core of said solenoid is raised and the circuit between the spaced contacts 39 and 40 is broken. This breaks the circuit of the solenoid 21 and the core24 is moved out wardly by the action of the spring 25, said core entering into the opening 18 in the arm 18 to again lock the levers 18 and 19 together in the manner before described. A movement of the lever 1O" in the car 10 will then act through the cables 20 and the levers 18 and 19 to rock the shaft 16 and operate the valve mechanism 15 as described.

When the car 10 is in motion in the elelocked together by means of the solenoid core 24, have been rotated to rock the shaft 16 of the pilot valve :15 so as to allow the fluid to pass therethrough, the said levers 18 and 19 being in an angular position, one side or the other of the horizontal. This position of the levers 18 and 19 will carry one of the weights 18 and 18 upwardly and away from its associated support 15*, the other weight still resting on its associated support 15 with its associated chain 18 or 18 in a slackposition.

Should for any, reason, one of the doors 13 and 14 be opened from any outside or inside agency, the circuit through the wires 44 and 45 would be broken as before described. This will cause the solenoid 43 to be deenergized and the core 42 thereof will drop to bridge the space between the contacts 39 and 40 completing the circuit through the main 41 and wire 38 through the box 50 to the wire 23 to energize the coil 21 causing the core 24 thereof to be withdrawn from looking position between the levers 18 and 19, thus breaking the connection between the said levers. This would free the lever 18 from the influence of the lever 19, and the weight 18 or 18 whichever one has been moved upwardly away from its support 15, will fall. by gravity y ting off the How of fluid through said valve and stopping the car. This position is reached just when the weigh which has been moving downward by gravity strikes its associated rest 15*. The position of the Weight'relative to-the horizontal or cutting off position of the lever 18 may be'regulated to a nicety by means of adjustment of'the turn buckles 18 in thechain .18 and 18 In order that-the car-may proceed, the lever 19 must be returned to neutral position and the open door closed, when all parts Will again be in position to startthe car When the lever 19 is again moved. i

It isapparentfrom the foregoing descrip-i "tionithatthe elevator car can havenomove-j ment in the shaft as long as a door is open? even should the operating lever Within the. car be given movement, and should the op-f erator attempt to leave the lever in a posi-% 'tion to start the car With the dooropen, the;

connection between the levers 18 and 19'isi still broken, with the lever 18 in a neutral,f horizontal position, having been returned.

to this :position by the counterbalancingi 'Weights 18 and 18 and the-lever 19 m an;

' angular position corresponding to the angu- -lar position of operating lever 10 in the car 10. The lever 10 must be brought toneu- 'traltposition so'that the arms 18 and 19- are thesainezplaneiwhen theyvvill again be locked together 'by the solenoid I core 24. This insures safety to the passengers entering and leaving the car as it is apparent,

and ,a'car in said shaft, a controlling' valve mechanism-for controlling: the movement of the car in said shaft, means operable from Within the car foroperatingsaid controlling valve mechanism including a main operating member and an auxiliary operating member, meansanormally locking said auxiliary'operating member to said main operating member, and-means actuatedxby the opening ofwany of the doors in said elevator shaftfor disconnecting'the said auxiliary operatingmember from said main op erating. member.

2. A safety device for hydraulic elevators, comprising in combination With an elevator shaft having door openings therein, sliding doors-adapted to closesaid dooropenings, anda car-in said shaft, a controlling valve mechanism for controlling-the movement of the car in said shaft, meansoperable from within the car for operating said controlling valve mechanism including main operat- .ing member and :an auxiliary :ioperating member, means normally lockingsaid auxiliary opera-ting memberztofsaid main "op crating member, means for automatically returningsaid-main operating :member to axneutral i position when released from said auxiliary operating member, and means 'actuated by the opening ofzany of the doors Bil] said i elevator shaft for disconnecting the -auxiliary operating member from said main operating member. i

3. -.A safety device. for.hydraulioelevators,

comprising, in combination With 1 an elevator shaft; having door openings therein, sliding ,dOOI-S adapted to close saidx'door openings,

and a car in said shaft,-acontrollingavalve IIlBChLIllSIlLfOI' controlling-the movement of the car said shaft, means operable from of the doors in-said elevator shaft for dis-- connecting the auxiliary operating lever :from said main operating lever.

4. A safety device for hydraulic elevators,

comprising incombination' with an elevator shaft ihaving door openings therein,- sliding doors adapted to close said door openings, :and: a car insaid shaft, acontrolling @valve mechanism for controlling the movement of the carin said shaft, means operable from within. the car'for-I operating said controlling valve mechanism including a rock-shaft, a main operating lever fixed-"onsaid shaft, an auxiliary operating. lever loose on said shaft,

means normally dockingsaid auxiliary op crating leverto said main operating lever, means acting ,to normally retain said main operating lever in neutral position, ,and meansactuated by Ltheopening of any of the doorsinthe elevator shaft for disconnecting the auxiliary operating lever from the main operating lever.

5. A safetydevice, for hydraulic elevators comprising in combination with an elevator shaft and door openings therein, sliding doors adapted to close said door openings a car in saidshaft, a controlling valve mechanism for controllingrthe movement oft-said car in said shaft, a' rock-shaft for operating said controlling valve mechanism, a cable operable from within the car for operating said rock-shaft, a-m'ain operating lever'fixed on saidwshaftyan'auxiliary operating lever adjacent the first named leverloose on said shaft, means for normally retaining said fixed operating lever in neutral position, electrically controlled means carried by said auxiliary-operating lever "for" normally looking the same to *said main operating-lever and electrically controlled means actuated presence of two Witnesses, this by the opening Ff any of the doors hin saig December A. D. 1913. elevator s aft or diseonnectin t e sai auxiliary operating lever from said main LEWIS HAWK operating lever.

In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the 20th day of Witnesses:

G. R. WILKINs, MARY MCCARTHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

